With the passage of a one percent sales tax measure last November, the volunteer fire department in Yreka will no longer be all-volunteer.
On Tuesday night, city council members approved hiring six firefighters to help with an increasing number of medical calls, which make up the majority of emergencies the department responds to.
City HR Director John Elsnab said they are hoping to have the firefighters start working in July.
“There's still quite a lot of work to do in preparation for them to come on," he said. "But this is a major step forward to start the recruitment process while we can finish some of those other internal policies.”
The fire department has been struggling to attract volunteers as the number of emergency calls they respond to has skyrocketed.
The city will be using just over a million dollars annually to fund the six positions. The firefighters salary will range from around $60,000 to $90,000. A number of different positions will be filled, including a supervisory fire captain.
Any extra money from the tax would be used to help build a new fire station. Their current station is over 90 years old, and is in need of replacement.
